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EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) Deficiency

Macherel...
Macherel…EPA Rich!

What Is EPA?

[dropcap]E[/dropcap]PA (eicosapentaenoic acid) is an essential omega-3 fatty acid that is crucial for fetal brain and retina development and the child’s subsequent neurodevelopment among very many other activities in people of all ages.

Omega-3 fatty acids  are polyunsaturated long chain fatty acids which must be obtained from animal foods since they do not occur in plants.

In all ages, EPA is essential for normal brain function.

Q: Why is EPA essential to the way the brain works?

A: EPA helps nerve cells in the brain to communicate with each other.

In pregnancy, EPA may also play a role in determining the length of gestation and in preventing perinatal depression in the mother.1 and is essential for normal growth in children.

EPA is important building material for the eicosanoids, a large group of highly bioactive hormone-like substances including prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and thromboxanes that are involved in blood clotting, inflammation, and vasoconstriction. Its many important functions are described below.

What Is EPA Deficiency?

Sources:
  1. Coletta JM, Bell SJ, and Roman AS. Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Pregnancy. Rev Obstet Gynecol. 2010 Fall; 3(4): 163–171 [↩]

Alpha-Linolenic Acid Deficiency

Flaxseed Crispbread is Loaded with Alpha-Linolenic Acid.
Flaxseed Crispbread…Loads of Alpha-Linolenic Acid.

What Is Alpha-Linolenic Acid?

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]lpha-linolenic acid is an essential (need/can’t make) polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acid that must be obtained in the diet. Alpha-linolenic acid is found in plant sources only.

Alpha-linolenic acid is required for normal brain function and nervous system health. It is an important building material for the eicosanoids.

Q: What are eicosanoids?

A: Eicosanoids are a large group of highly bioactive hormone-like substances including prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and thromboxanes that are involved in blood clotting, inflammation, and vasoconstriction (constriction of blood vessels).

Alpha-linolenic acid is a “parent” fatty acid because if sufficient amounts are present in the body, it can be used to produce both eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), two other critical omega-3 fatty acids.1 However, this conversion is limited. In healthy individuals, the conversion rate of ALA to EPA is less than 5 to 10% and ALA to DHA is only 2 to 5%.

Additionally, a deficient level of the mineral selenium can interfere with the conversion of alpha-linolenic acid into EPA and DHA. Also, folic acid supplement has been shown to increase omega-3 status and, conversely, to decrease omega-3 when folic acid is in deficient in animal models.

What Is Alpha-Linolenic Acid Deficiency?

Sources:
  1. Richardson AJ. The importance of omega-3 fatty acids for behavior, cognition, and mood. Scandinavian Journal of Nutrition. 2003; 47(2):92-8 [↩]

Iron Deficiency

ferritinWhat Is Iron?

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]ron is an essential mineral that is required for normal body function.

Almost two-thirds of iron in the body is found in hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to tissues. Smaller amounts of iron are found in myoglobin, a protein that helps supply oxygen to muscle, and in enzymes that assist biochemical reactions.

Iron is also found in proteins that store iron for future needs and that transport iron in blood.

Q: How are iron stores regulated?

A:Iron stores are regulated by intestinal iron absorption.1That is, whenever iron is needed, more iron is absorbed than when iron is sufficient. This mechanism prevents excess iron in the body which is harmful.

In the brain, iron is necessary to ensure oxygenation and to produce energy in the cerebral parenchyma (via cytochrome oxid. ase), and for the synthesis of neurotransmitters and myelin.

Iron concentrations in the umbilical artery are critical during the development of the fetus, and in relation with the IQ in the child.2

What Is Iron Deficiency In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

Sources:
  1. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional accessed 12/11/12 [↩]
  2. Bourre JM. Effects of nutrients (in food) on the structure and function of the nervous system: update on dietary requirements for brain. Part 1: micronutrients. J Nutr Health Aging. 2006 Sep-Oct; 10(5):377-85. [↩]

Zinc Deficiency

Oysters Have Mega Zinc!
Oysters Have Mega Zinc!

What Is Zinc?

[dropcap]Z[/dropcap]inc is an essential trace mineral that is involved in numerous aspects of cellular metabolism, being essential for activation of almost 200 enzymes that have vital roles in the body.

Q: What happens when enzymes do not get activated?

A: When enzymes do not get activated, they cannot perform their necessary functions which, in turn, damages health.

Zinc promotes healthy skin, hair, immunity, fertility, and growth.

A daily intake of zinc is required to maintain a steady state because the body has no specialized zinc storage system.1 Functions are more fully described below.

What Is Zinc Deficiency in Celiac Disease?

Sources:
  1. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/ [↩]

Linoleic Acid (LA) Deficiency

nutsWhat Is Linoleic Acid?

[dropcap]L[/dropcap]inoleic acid is an essential omega-6 fatty acid that comes from plant sources. Essential means the body must have it to maintain health and life sustaining functions. Omega-6 fatty acids are polyunsaturated.

Among its many vital roles in the body, linoleic acid composition of intestinal membranes is important for epithelial cell function and disturbances may contribute to the pathophysiology of celiac disease.1

Q: What are epithelial cells?

A: Epithelial cells make up the surface mucosa of the digestive tract and also the respiratory tract, urinary tract and genital tract.

Linoleic acid is an important building material for the eicosanoids, a large group of highly bioactive hormone-like substances including prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and thromboxanes that are involved in blood clotting, inflammation, and vasoconstriction.2

What Is Linoleic Acid Deficiency in Celiac Disease?

Sources:
  1. Steel DM, Ryd W, Ascher H, Strandvik B. Abnormal fatty acid pattern in intestinal mucosa of children with celiac disease is not reflected in serum phospholipids. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2006 Sep; 43(3):318-23. [↩]
  2. Richardson AJ. The importance of omega-3 fatty acids for behavior, cognition, and mood. Scandinavian Journal of Nutrition. 2003; 47(2):92-8 [↩]

Vitamin K Deficiency

Kale For Vitamin K.
Kale For Vitamin K.

What Is Vitamin K?

[dropcap]V[/dropcap]itamin K is a family of fat-soluble vitamins, called K vitamers, that exists in three forms:

  • K1 is a natural form found in plants (phylloquinone);
  • K2, found in some animal foods, is synthesized in the intestine (menaquinone); and
  • K3, is a synthetic form that must be activated in the liver (menadione).

Vitamin K is essential for the formation of clotting factors in blood and bone proteins and serves as a cofactor in the production of  proteins that regulate blood clotting.

Q: What are the clotting factors that require vitamin K in the regulation of blood clotting?

A: The clotting factors that require vitamin K in the regulation of  blood clotting are factors II, VII, IX, and X.   Low coagulation factors on blood assay indicate an altered secondary coagulation disorder that is characterized by impaired clot formation.

Each coagulation factor must be present in sufficient quantity in order for normal clotting to occur.

What Is Vitamin K Deficiency In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?